HOA requires us to drag trashcan through the house

Hate to be the bearer of bad news you are stuck with that terrible situation.Unless you can produce a doctor's note saying you can't lift or walk with more than 40 lbs because of an arthritic or some other physical condition.

Thank you all. The former owner passed away last September and a company bought and flipped the townhome this year.
No, there is no garage or carport. I will have to park in my space in front of the townhome. I take care of my 2 grandchildren and anticipate the garbage load could get heavy.

Perhaps, there is nothing I can do, but I was just thinking if one was eating at a restaurant and the garbage came rolling through the kitchen and past the customers, how awful. In this townhome, I will be doing the same plus the cold, rainy conditions of weather here are sure to keep the can at the curb messy to go back through the house.

Donna,

Is it not possible to put a gate in the fence?

Donna,

Sorry about your situation, but the solution/practice that the management company informed you of is almost too ridiculous to believe . . . dragging a trash can from the back yard, through the home, and out to the front to be collected???

The fence that you talk about . . . is the fence only around your back yard, or do all back yards have the same fence? I'm trying to understand if everyone in your association has to drag trash through their home or just you and others who have a fence.

If all yards don't have the fence, than it's possible that the fence was installed by a/the previous owner of your home and the situation was self-imposed (and perhaps tolerable to previous owners).

If the fence is yours and you are allowed to make modifications, it seems that the only solution is to modify the fence (e.g., install a gate) to allow you to get the trash can outside of your fence and around the townhomes to the front . . . assuming there is area behind your townhouse and beside the end units to do this.

Make sure to submit for review/approval of any architectural changes in accordance with the association's procedures.

You might cont the Georgia Secretary of States office also...

https://ecorp.sos.ga.gov/Home/UseFulLinks

You need to get hold of an Elderly advocate center in your state as here.

https://aging.georgia.gov/elderly-legal-assistance-program

Call them for assistance,

Also call your local waste management company and ask for help.

You can call your local Dept of Health explain your situation see what avenues you have.

Call your property manager explain the situation see what they say.There should be a door for access in your fence /wall . Don't give up fight for a reasonable solution.

Good luck

You folks are just wonderful, I mean it! I feel so much better about this since I've read your comments. This morning I heard back from the management company for the HOA. They said I would be allowed to place loose bags of trash on the curb provided all is in sturdy bags, etc. I will have to store them in a little storeroom which is off the deck.
The trash pickup is weekly. They also said I could have a gate in the fence in order to exit another way. (They own all the fences: I have noticed the "end" units can place cans at the side and rear.

Still, I personally feel as many of you do, that their overall policy about the garbage is totally unsanitary. I have researched the Health Dept here and also the city sanitation services. I'm not going to give up once I move there trying to resolve this issue. Maybe the HOA doesn't find this practice abhorrent, but I do. It's just not good enough for them to imply that everyone does it this way and always has. The assumption, I suppose, is that I am the only one to ever complain.
Don't believe it for a second. No owner should be traipsing filthy cans with dirty wheels through living areas.

Thank you very much b/c I value what you have learned over the years and what you so willingly share with others to help.
I really couldn't find anything to buy that was NOT in an HOA. This one just happened to present a very off-putting policy.

Such helpful replies you've received, Donna.

I think RogerD is on to something and he cites you: "(They own all the fences..." But it sounds like the fences are common area, which means all owners own them "in common" and the HOA Board of directors makes decisions about them and maintains them.

So, as RogerD suggests, write to the board of directors via your property management company and request that the HOA Board vote to install a fence. You can't do that till you own it, though.

I'm curious about your HOA being managed by a ready company instead of an actual property management company. Is this because it's till new? And the realtors have an office on your premises?

> "Still, I personally feel as many of you do, that their overall policy about the garbage is totally unsanitary. I have researched the Health Dept here and also the city sanitation services. I'm not going to give up once I move there trying to resolve this issue."

But you have resolved the issue, right? You have two options, of taking the trash out in sturdy bags, and/or putting a gate in the back. What is still the issue?

What better solution do you have in mind?

We have a very similar rule - cans can't go out before 7pm for the next day pickup and must be removed to the rear of the unit by the morning of the day after pickup. I lived in the community a long time and the rule was enforced and people took them around to the back of the home (town homes) like they were suppose to. Over the past few years people have changed and have stopped doing it and the community looks horrible with garbage cans all around the fronts of units randomly everywhere which all can be seen. We don't have fences so there is no reason for someone not to follow the rules unless like someone else stated there is a medical reason. I personally would not want to drag a can through the house and would talk to them about gates to make it easier for everyone to follow the rule. I was really amazed at how such a small thing like a garbage can effected the look of the community and really wish the bod would enforce this rule again here. I know when I was vp of the bod we had one person with health issues and allowed her to have a small fenced area at her unit front to store her can because in this town the garbage will also be picked up from the front of your home if you have health issues without rolling it out to the curb.

Oh yes, JohnD, amazing how a seemingly small issue such as cans out can affect the community's appearance and also pose health and sanitation concerns. I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place lately with having unreasonably high rent increases imposed by my apartment complex and knowing it would be cheaper in the long haul to just go ahead and take out enough of my savings for a down payment and then saving a few hundred dollars each month. I really didn't want to live in an HOA again since before I rented my apt., I owned a home in TN and the experience we had there was not so pleasant. But, in my current area, seems as if every type home is now in an HOA. So, I felt almost lucky to find this condo/townhome with a price I could afford. I'll be one of those who will try to abide by the rules. I know now they'll work with me on the trash issue and my son-in-law says he'll come over to help get it out. I've driven through the community many times now and it appears the residents are generally compliant with getting emptied cans back out of sight. That's assuring and I'm sure there'll be other issues and questions come up after I move in. Going into this with a fair amount trepidation but going to be hopeful and offer up a few prayers.